How to lose a lover the Penelope Garcia way
by Naidoo
Summary: Sleeping with Kevin was probably not her best idea. She wanted no strings attatched, he wanted more again. When Penelope realizes that 'breaking up' is not as easy as thought she asks her best friend for help, not realizing this will just create more chaos.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Vacation's over and I can finally spent my time with writting again instead of sightseeing and sun-bathing. Yes, I lead a very hard life. LOL This story's just a short one, with six chapters. Figured I get back with something not TOO epic yet LOL_

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><p>There had been only few situations in Penelope Garcia's life where she felt rather lost and maybe a bit helpless and right now certainly was one of them. Flanked by her two best friends in some booth in the back of their favorite diner neither Emily nor JJ looked very impressed at her right now.<p>

"What do you mean you slept with Kevin Lynch?" JJ repeated her question once more after Penelope couldn't really provide a good enough answer. Or any answer at all for that matter.

"Well… it just… happened," Penelope said quietly, shrugging as if she herself couldn't really explain it.

"But didn't you break up? Like a month ago?" Emily asked confused at which Penelope just nodded rather reluctantly.

"Yeah," she just said after a few nods.

"So… what … um… what made you go for him again?"

"Well… I … well… I saw him the other day at a bar where I was supposed to meet Morgan. But you guys got called in for a case and well… he looked so sad and depressed and I … I kind of felt bad for a moment. Plus I probably had half a bottle of tequila that night already…"

"You slept with him out of guilt?" Emily asked astonished.

Penelope shook her head a few times, before giving up and nodding. "Technically it wasn't entirely out of guilt," she said, looking at her two friends. "Okay, maybe it was, but… that's not the point…"

"What is?" Emily asked curiously. "I thought you sleeping with Lynch was the point of this conversation."

"No, not really, that was just… part of the story."

"There's more?" JJ asked surprised, looking at Emily, who looked equally surprised.

"He… well… he kind of seems to think now that there will be more again…." Penelope explained.

"May we remind you, he was the one who ended things because he didn't 'Feel the love' anymore?" Emily said, looking together with JJ serious at Penelope.

"I know…" Penelope sighed. "But when he sat there, in that bar, all sad and lonely and… I don't know what happened. I just … felt so bad…"

"But he left you. What are you feeling bad about?" Emily wondered.

"Okay, maybe I wasn't feeling too sad and more… needy," Penelope rolled her eyes at her friends and both JJ and Emily needed to smile.

"You mean needy as in 'scratch an itch'?" Emily asked, making JJ snicker. "But from… all the people you could have picked from it had to be _Kevin Lynch_?"

"He … I mean, I was and he… and… ah whatever," Penelope tried to explain, before throwing her hands in the air, giving up.

"Okay… and now?" JJ asked carefully, sensing there was more to this than just the one-night-stand.

"Well… he kind of… I mean… well, he … he does seem to think we can get back together," Penelope answered quickly, knowing exactly what her friends would say next.

"But you made it clear that this won't happen, right?" Emily asked confident.

"Well… I…" Penelope started, before JJ interrupted her.

"You didn't tell him?"

"I did, but he… seems to not really get it."

"_How _did you say it?" Emily wanted to know.

"Well…. I told him that I thought the night was not really the best idea…."

"That's it? That's all you told him?" JJ asked surprised, seeing Emily being equally surprised.

"I couldn't tell him really that after I spent the night with him he sucked and I hated him, could I?" Penelope asked, at which JJ and Emily rolled their eyes.

"No, you rather let him think after the crap he pulled he can … get that easily back in your life and… bed," Emily remarked. "Why are you doing this to yourself? I mean… seriously. Hasn't he done enough to you already for you to kick his sorry ass to the other side of this world?"

Penelope let out a sigh. She should have known that it would have gone down like this or similar. It had been a few months now since their split Emily still seemed angry.

"So how do I make it obvious that this will lead nowhere?" Penelope asked, choosing to ignore Emily for now.

"Maybe a swift kick in his butt would help you get the message across," Emily suggested.

"Emily, I am a strong believer of non-violent conflict resolution. I certainly will not start now, especially not with someone like my ex-boyfriend – who I couldn't care less about," Penelope argued.

"Non-violent conflict resolution?" Emily asked with a grin. "You spent way too much time with Reid, my friend."

Before Penelope could respond to Emily, JJ was cutting her off.

"If you don't care about Kevin Lynch, why did you sleep with him then?" JJ asked.

"Honestly? I don't know… I just… I felt somehow sorry for him that night, looking somehow broke and also I had already a couple of drinks and maybe… I don't know, maybe there are still some issues and feeling involved," Penelope admitted, looking at her friends. Before either of them could say anything Penelope was quick in adding "_Not_ that I want to get back with him. I seriously don't. And seriously… when I woke up the next morning it was like a bad hangover."

"Well…. case closed than. You'll just tell him that was it, a one-night-only thing and… well, that's the end of that chapter then," Emily smiled at her friend and Penelope somehow couldn't help but think her friend sounded a bit relieved there for a moment.


	2. bring in the expert

_A/N: Thank you all so much for the very nice and very warm Welcome Back. I kind of felt guilty for a moment for having been gone for such a long while there.  
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><p>Four days later Emily had to find out that this chapter surely wasn't anywhere close to an end.<p>

"Didn't you tell me the other day that you broke it to Lynch that the one-night-stand was very much a one-night thing?" she asked her friend over lunch.

Penelope just nodded, looking curiously at her. "Yeah, why?"

"Well… um… I overheard him just this morning, talking to another tech…"

"So? What does that have to do with him and me?"

"Well… by what he said it sounded very much as if you two were still… um… an item."

"What?" Penelope exclaimed rather surprised. "That's ridiculous. I told him that this night was a mistake and would never happen again."

Both her friends looked at Penelope for a moment, before JJ was the one speaking again.

"What exactly did you tell him?"

"Well… " Penelope started.

"Penelope?" both her friends pushed and saw Penelope sigh.

"I told him we couldn't continue like that and left…"

"That doesn't really sound like dumping someone."

"In my defense I can't really say I have had plenty of practice throughout my life," Penelope answered back, seeing both JJ and Emily smile at her. "I mean… it had always been kinda mutual agreements that things would come to an end."

"Well… maybe we should consult with an expert then," Emily all of a sudden said, making strange hand movements and turning around, Penelope saw Morgan walking towards their table.

"I thought you said he was out for lunch with the guys?" Penelope asked confused, looking at Emily.

"Um... well… maybe I kind of didn't tell you the exact truth, but then again I needed to speak to you about… Lynch."

"What's up, Emily?" Morgan asked when he was close enough by the table.

"We need your expertise on something," Emily said bluntly and Penelope would have liked to kick her right now. "Your expertise on breaking up. Or making someone aware you are not interested…"

"Who's the lucky one" he just asked, grinning at Emily.

"Kevin Lynch," JJ and Emily answered in union and Morgan looked surprised for a moment.

"Kevin… Kevin Lynch? What on earth….?"

"You can ask Penelope about the specifics," Emily just smiled, before continuing. "And while she is explaining you the finer details you can let her in on the secret of breaking it to him they are no longer…"

"No longer?" Derek asked, still rather confused. "I thought you guys broke up a few months ago?" he finally asked, looking at Penelope now.

"It's … complicated," Penelope muttered.

"You spent three days in your office crying over him. How can that be complicated?" Morgan asked confused.

"She slept with him," Emily was quick in explaining, seeing Penelope seconds later look at her shocked and feeling JJ slap her arm.

"What? He would have found out eventually anyway. Gossip travels quicker in this office than anything else…" Emily defended herself. And both her friends had to admit she had a point.

"You…" Morgan started, looking like he tried to make sense of this. "What?" he finally asked, before he sat down next to Penelope and rephrased. "Why?"

"What do you mean why?" Penelope asked irritated.

"Why did you sleep with him? When he broke your heart?"

"I … um … well… "

"She had to scratch an itch," Emily said bluntly, earning another slap from JJ and nearly a kick from Penelope under the table.

"Why don't I just leave you and Morgan alone and you can have that conversation without me? Even better you can as well go to Lynch and finish things…" Penelope mused.

"Scratch an itch?" she all of a sudden heard her best friend asking.

"What?" Penelope more or less snapped. This whole conversation was not going how she had expected. In fact nothing of this had gone as she had expected. "Oh please, as if you never did that. If you sleep with half the female population of Washington D.C. it's okay, but when I decided to go to bed with one guy for a night it all of a sudden is bad?"

"I didn't say that…" Morgan smiled at her softly. "As a matter of fact… good for you. But of all the candidates you choose Lynch? Your ex-boyfriend?"

"Trust me, the irony does not go unnoticed…" Penelope said flatly.

"This isn't some kind of… um ... this isn't some attempt to reconcile with him, is it?" Morgan asked carefully at which he saw Penelope's eyes widen in shock.

"No, of course not. It was just… um…"

"An itch that really, really, _really_ needed to be scratched?" Morgan asked smiling.

And great, now he probably thought she was a joke. Which she probably kinda was, if only for the fact that she wasn't able to tell her ex-boyfriend turned one-night-stand they were no longer.

"I'm sorry if I'm not the first one you think of when thinking about girls that have that sort of lifestyle, not that I have and..." Penelope started, but soon realized she probably made things now worse with her weird rambling. "Just because I don't jump in bed with the first random person crossing my way, like others here, does not mean that I have the life of a nun," she finally said, getting up and leaving the three of them back at the table.

"Well done, Morgan," he heard JJ say sarcastically.

"You better go and fix this," Emily said, when Penelope was already gone.

"I didn't mean… She isn't …. That's not what I meant when I said...," he started, before letting out a sigh and starting all over again. "Listen… do I think she is the kind of girl that sleeps around town? No, but not because I think she couldn't do it. But that doesn't mean that I don't think she is fucking hot," he said.

"How about telling _her_ about that and not _us_?" JJ asked, nudging towards the doors.

Morgan had to admit she was right and that he had kind of screwed this up. He should go and find her and make things better.

Walking down the corridors towards his Baby Girl's office Morgan already thought of all the things he could say. The thing was he loved her, deeply, and for him there was no one more sensual, sexy and hot out there. She might always say she wasn't the type of girls guys would write songs, but Morgan wasn't so sure she was right. He knew she had certain issues when it came to her looks, a fact Morgan couldn't really understand. Sure, she might not have the waist of one Heidi Klum, or the figure of some Adriana Lima, but that didn't mean she wasn't gorgeous and beautiful.

"Baby Girl…" was all he said, when entering her office. His voice was close to a plea and a bit of whine even, but he didn't care. He wanted to make sure that she understood that for him she certainly was the kind of girl that could have her pick of guys for a night. Whether she believed it or not.

Instead of answering she just turned around and stared at him.


	3. failures

"I think you got that all wrong, baby. I love you, and you know that, right?" he asked, and after a while he saw her nod. That was a good sign. "I would never say or think you should not or could not um… have … a one-night-stand. I don't think you should, but certainly not because of what you think. There are just too many idiots and dirt-bags out there to cross your ways that aren't worth you… In my opinion you are just too… precious to have that kind of thing," Morgan said and he knew how that sounded. Like some weak excuse, but fact was he never had been good with expressing his emotions or even feelings, nevertheless thoughts.

Penelope glared at him for a while, making Morgan wonder whether he hadn't done more damage now than it was before.

"Typical, the one time I have a one-night-stand I go and screw it up," Penelope finally said, surprising Morgan. She was talking to him, which was always a good sign. Maybe the fact that she was avoiding his earlier speech should worry him, but then again… she was talking. That was all he cared about for now.

"Well… why _did_ you sleep with him? And please, no 'scratch an itch'. As far as I was told it was a bar where you saw him, and he certainly couldn't have been the only guy there…"

"I knew him," Penelope answered in a rather weak and small voice. "I kind of knew what to expect and the whole … 'awkwardness' wasn't there… well, not as much as I suspect to be there with some random stranger."

"He's your ex-boyfriend, Baby Girl. How is that for awkwardness?" Morgan asked, smiling softly at her, at which she leaned forward and placed her head between her legs.

"I'm a failure," he heard her say in a muffled voice.

"No, you're not," Morgan was quick in reassuring her, rubbing his hand in soft circles on her back. "The only failure is Kevin Lynch."

"Who apparently now thinks he and me are back on," she explained further, moving her head back up and looking at Morgan who smiled somewhat miserable at her.

"Happens to the best of us," Morgan just smiled at her warmly.

"What? That we sleep with the ex and then said ex thinks you are back on? Happened even to you?" Penelope asked surprised and which Morgan made some strange movements.

He knew it might be better for her if he just lied and said yes, that would pick her up and make her feel better, but he had sworn to himself ever since he met Penelope, he'd never lie to her and he certainly wouldn't start now. Especially not over Kevin Lynch.

Without having actually answered her Penelope knew his answer. She threw her hands in the air somewhat melodramatic and placed her head on her knees. Maybe he really should have lied to her.

"I am a failure," she repeated again at which Morgan made a step forward, reached for her arms and pulled her up rather forceful. The sudden movement surprised Penelope, who let out a yelp and found herself just a moment later tightly plastered against Derek Morgan's rather hard chest, with him smiling down on her.

"No, you're not…" he smiled at her encouragingly and pulled her with him.

Penelope, who hadn't expected any movement staggered on her high heels after her best friend. God only knew where he was taking her now.

They walked towards the elevators, Morgan pressed the button and just a few moments later she saw him press '4' once they were inside. Penelope wondered for a moment what they would do on the fourth floor, when she realized that was the Tech Pool Floor. He wouldn't? Not now, clearly, but then again…

A moment later they stepped out of the elevator, onto the fourth floor and Morgan pulled her towards what she had feared. The Tech Pool area.

"Just go in there and tell him you and him are over," he instructed her and Penelope couldn't help how all these instructions – Emily's, JJ's and now his – always seemed to sound so simple, but once in front of Kevin it all was a whole different game.

"Tell him, you don't love him and that the night was a mistake. A mistake that should never have happened and will never happen again," he said and gave her a strong shove. A moment later she was facing several dozens of techs who all looked at her for a second before turning their attention back to whatever it was they had been doing before.

They probably all think I'm here to visit my boyfriend, Penelope thought a bit sour. Who knew Kevin Lynch was so big on talking? He certainly never was when he was with Penelope.

"Penny," she heard his voice coming a moment later and she saw him walking towards her, smiling. Oh God, this was going to suck. Big Time.

"Kevin," Penelope said, looking at him somewhat smiling. No reason to be rude. "Can we… um… talk somewhere?" she asked, keeping her voice down.

"Here's good," Kevin answered and that was certainly not what she meant.

"Something more private?" she asked and he looked at her surprised.

"Something… private?" Lynch asked, stopping quickly, before grinning at her wickedly. "Of course…"

"Um … no, not what you... I mean … that is not what I meant…" she stuttered somewhat a bit helpless.

He honestly didn't think she came here to have… her way with him, did he? God, she really had to break this up. Quick. And maybe she should just do it here. In front of people. Then maybe some could tell him she really broke up with him, or ended thing, or however this was called.


	4. the easy way out

_A/N: Got some very cool news today. I have to go back to Capetown, on a work assigment. This time for three months. Which means no stories for that period of time since the internet connection there really sucks. So, unlesss I can find some cheaper way to go online there won't be any stories for a while. But that is not til December, so, I can easily finish this story, and post a few more, before saying 'bye' again for such a long time. And yes, I already feel really guilty about that. =)  
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><p>"I…" she started, trying to think of what Morgan again had said to her a moment ago. "I… think we made a mistake when… um … well, the other night," Penelope started.<p>

"What makes you think that?" Kevin asked, looking surprised.

"Um... I…. the thing is, I think it would be better if we don't keep that up…"

"You want us to be steady again? Not a problem. I was thinking about that as well actually…"

"What? No," Penelope said irritated. "I … no, not steady…"

"So you want to keep up the friends with benefits then?" Kevin asked.

"Fr- Friends?" Penelope asked, now her turn to be surprised. "I don't think we … um… qualify as friends…"

"Then just the benefits. Works better for me anyway. Sex, no strings, no social…. interaction, other than the actual act."

"I … what?" Penelope asked, and clearly this should have been easier and over by now. "No. I ... listen… Kevin, I don't want to keep this up. At all. Not friends with benefits, or friends, or benefits, or steady nor fling nor whatever. I just don't want to… anything…" she finally said. There, she did it. She broke things off.

"Why?" she heard Kevin ask. And _that_ she hadn't expected. Why?

Why? He seriously wanted to know _why_?

"I… what does it matter to you? The only thing that should matter is that this is over. Definitively."

"Is there someone else?" he asked and Penelope was wondering what on earth was wrong with him. She should just… walk away. Turn around and walk out of here. But she kind of worried that this would leave things somehow unfinished and he could come after her and just… make this all weird and awkward. Not that this wasn't already awkward and weird.

"Yes," Penelope said finally deciding that if this would make things stop she should just pretend there was someone else. "As a matter of fact there has been for a while. For a couple of weeks now actually…" she said without thinking much.

There was silence for a moment and Penelope was already thinking this was finally over. Finally.

"Is it Morgan?" Kevin all of a sudden asked, looking past her, to the glass doors where he saw Morgan standing, talking to some girl she hadn't really seen before.

"Yes," she said, not caring much at this moment. Kevin for whatever reason had always this idea that she and Morgan had something going on. Which was ridiculous and she had told him so several times throughout their relationship. But right now, his constant suspicion was playing towards her advantage. Less stuff to explain for her if he thought they finally went that step.

She already mentally finished this chapter, when she saw Kevin walking past her, towards the doors. Penelope hurried after him, but was too late in reaching him before he reached Morgan.

"I slept with Penelope while she was dating you," she just heard Kevin say in a somewhat superior tone.

"What?" Morgan asked, sounding somewhat amused and Penelope somehow felt like passing out.

"You two have been dating for a few weeks. And just last week… I slept with her. While she was technically dating you. Finally… I beat you at something, Derek Morgan. How does it feel to be second at something all of a sudden?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Lynch," Morgan said, looking at the tech rather confused.

Instead of answering Lynch just grinned at Morgan. Penelope had never been violent, but she swore if Lynch wouldn't lose that grin soon she'd make an exception, just for him. And somehow she had imagined her great, fabulous plan to work out differently. Now it seemed as if it actually made the situation worse. And gave Kevin an ego. Great, just great.

"He's just… confused. Post … um … Breakup … Stuff. You know?" Penelope looked at Morgan, who just nodded, not seeming convinced, before she quickly hurried down the corridor, pulling Morgan with her and leaving Kevin Lynch and his stupid grin all by himself in front of the Tech Pool.

"What exactly did you tell him in there?" Morgan asked when they made their way back to the elevators.

"You know… the stuff you said to me before I went in…"

"And how did that go?" he asked curious.

"Good," Penelope started, "-ish," she added shortly after.

"Good-ish? What does good-ish mean exactly?" Morgan asked, sounding somewhat amused.

"I… well… I sort of followed what you said. And that didn't really work out that way. So I … well, technically it was him who jumped to that conclusion that there was someone else. I figured it might get him off my back and sort of said yes. And … well… he saw you and figured it was you."

"Did you at some point … encourage that idea?" Morgan asked amused, placing his hand above the sensor of the elevator door, to let Penelope go in first.

"No," she said quickly. "But I might not have disencouraged it either…" she admitted after a few silent moments.

And with that she hoped this all was over. But, oh was she wrong.


	5. bad news travel fast

"God, I am such a failure," Penelope declared the next morning a few minutes after she came into her office and had already heard everyone talking about just ONE topic.

"You're not," Morgan said quickly, standing by her side, trying his best to sound positive.

"And even worse, everyone is talking about you. And about Lynch's … um … 'achievement'. I'm sorry, Hot Stuff. I'm a lousy best friend for getting you into this…"

"Okay, Baby Girl, stop it. I couldn't care less what people are talking about me or Lynch, or anyone else. And… I certainly couldn't care less about what Lynch is saying or thinking now."

"Oh, great, do they all think I'm a whore now? For cheating on you, with my ex? For cheating on my … non-existing boyfriend with my ex?" Penelope asked herself and Morgan saw her looking slightly panicked.

"No one thinks of you like that. And if someone does they better not cross my way or they meet a new friend. Pain."

That comment made Penelope laugh at him.

"You'll see in a couple of days this will all be over. This will all be yesterday's news by then…" Morgan said convincingly. That's what she liked about her best friend, which he always tried to cheer her up when she was down.

A few days later and Penelope had to agree with Morgan. This really seemed to be over again. That was until she saw JJ and Emily waiting for her with lunch.

"You seeing Morgan? Like... serious?" Emily asked, before Penelope even had sat down.

"I …. what?" Penelope asked surprised.

"There are all sorts of stories going around, but all of them have the same, common background. That you and Morgan are dating. Finally…" Emily said, looking at JJ, who looked rather alarming at her, but nodded slightly in agreement.

"How do you… I mean… what, who told you that?" Penelope asked, and somehow she had a feeling as if this wasn't _yesterday's news._

"Several people. There are also some weird stories about you having slept with Lynch while dating Morgan, which I find… strange. I mean… you surely would have told us long before now if you guys had been involved, Right?"

"We are not involved," Penelope argued. "This is all just… oh damn. I should never have said anything. This wasn't supposed to be like that…"

"What do you mean 'not supposed to be like that'?" JJ asked. "Supposed to be like what?"

Penelope looked at her two friends for a moment. "The thing is… Morgan took me down to the Tech Pool the other day…" she started her story, seeing both Emily and J nod, although neither of them seemed to understand what this had to do with anything.

"He gave me all these things to say to break it off with Lynch for sure and that he would get it this time…" she went on, her friends still nodding occasionally.

"Things didn't really go as…. planned and he somehow brought up why I was so against us um … well... seeing each other again. So he jumped to the idea I was seeing someone…"

"Which is Morgan…" Emily said.

"Well… no and yes. I just… well… Morgan was there, and Lynch saw him and somehow made the connection, thinking that Derek and I would… " she broke off, letting her friends finish that thought for her. "Well anyway… I figured it might be a quick and easy way out and didn't really say anything against that idea. Of course he… just … twisted this around to this… ego-trip, having slept with some girl that was seeing Derek Morgan, while she was dating him and … I don't know. Thing is I'm not dating Morgan…." Penelope confessed and both her friends looked at her rather surprised.

"Does he… um… know about the story?" JJ asked carefully.

"Yes. And he said he doesn't care what people say or think. Which I find kind of adorable actually."

"That surprises you?" JJ asked surprised. "Derek carries a torch for you, seriously. I am surprised he hasn't lifted you on a pedestal yet."

"What do you mean…?" Penelope asked before some other thought interrupted her. "Wait a minute… who exactly told you?"

"Um… Kyle from HR. I was there for just a moment or two and heard him talking about it to someone else. So technically he didn't tell _me_," Emily explained.

"If HR knows does that mean…" Penelope started asking before she heard Hotch's voice coming from behind her. Great. Just great. The next time she'd see Kevin Lynch she would let him know a thing or two.

"Penelope, can I see you in my office for a moment?"


	6. all's well that ends well

_A/N: Last chapter, guys. I'm already senseing a slight ... vivid discussion in regards of my ending, but well... sometimes, imagining things by oneself is so much better than having it spelt out for you. In regards of a question stefi had, HR means Human Resource, which is a department in a company that deals with personel issues, such as hiring new people or following up on rules and policies - or the fact when one does not comply with these - that are applicable for personel. _

_Next story will come soon...  
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><p>Following Hotch into his office, Penelope felt nervous. To say the least.<p>

"I assume you know why I need to speak with you?" her supervisor asked and for a moment Penelope wondered if she should just play dumb. But he was a profiler. He probably would see straight through her lie.

"Um… is this… um … in regards of me and Morgan?" she asked, hoping he would look at her surprised and say 'What about you and Morgan?"

"Yes," no such luck then in regards of the surprise.

"You are aware of the Fraternization policy?" he asked and Penelope was actually about to roll her eyes. She had gone through this, one way or the other, back when her relationship with Kevin Lynch had been the issue.

"Um… yes, sir, but … I think you should know there has been a small … um… misunderstanding…" she started, and she should just explain this all and be over with.

"What misunderstanding?" Hotch asked, looking at her.

"I'm not… um… really seeing Morgan," she explained, feeling slightly embarrassed. God, she should never have let Kevin Lynch think she and Morgan were seeing each other.

"You are not?" Hotch asked surprised. "Is this than some sort of… um… physical agreement?" he asked and Penelope could feel that this certainly was not a conversation he really wanted to have.

"Not really. You see… I …um … might have said something to … um… Technical Analyst Kevin Lynch that made him… um... think that Morgan and me… um … were involved…" Penelope tried to explain, seeing Hotch listening and nodding.

"Well… whether or not you're seeing each other or not… Chief Strauss is looking into that and wants a word with both of you…"

That moment the world stopped. For one moment.

"Chief Strauss?" Penelope asked surprised. "I … um ... sure she has more important things to do than... um... looking into this," Penelope said. She really, really didn't want to go and see Strauss.

"Apparently she takes a rather big interest in the Fraternization rules. But I guess if you just tell her what you just told me, this will be dealt with quick and efficiently," Hotch said reassuringly.

"Will there… um … any… issue or problem, sir. Some sort of… warning or stuff like that?" Penelope asked not believing this was happening. The next time she would just follow Morgan's exact words and not decide on winging it halfway through.

"Warning?" Hotch asked, seeming to not understand what Penelope was asking. "Oh… um … to be honest I don't see why. You are not in the field, so there is no eminent issue there in regards of interaction or emotional issues. That kind of thing. So whatever the outcome is I think you will just get a warning at worst. I just wanted you to know about Strauss wanting to see you, to prepare you…" Hotch said, smiling encouragingly at her. And somehow that sounded not as bad as she thought.

"Thank you, sir," Penelope said, getting up from her chair and walking towards the door of her supervisor's office.

"Anytime, Penelope."

Penelope had made it back to her office, but not before Hotch had told her she was expected to see Strauss later today. Great. Just great. She really didn't want to see Strauss. That woman had some weird, creepy effect on her. Every minute in her office felt like an hour. Penelope felt like when she was eight years old again, sitting in her principal's office for something she didn't do but got punished for anyway. Not that she was innocent this time. Nope, she technically brought this on herself.

She had just sat down, when she heard footsteps approaching her office.

"Baby Girl, you busy?" she heard Morgan's soft voice filling her room just a moment later.

"Nope, just came from Hotch's office. You already know?" she asked, seeing Morgan lean against the door frame of her office.

"Yeah. I'm actually on my way to Strauss. I guess she wants to take advantage of the team being in for a change and getting this over with quickly…"

"I'm sorry," Penelope mumbled, feeling really bad for what she had gotten him and her into now.

"Don't be. At least we got rid of Lynch," Morgan grinned at her, not seeming the least bit concerned. And of course he'd see the positive again. There was a time not too long ago, when Penelope was that positive force in their friendship.

"So what are you gonna tell Strauss?" Penelope asked curiously.

There was silence for a moment, and Penelope wondered whether he now hated her for getting him into this all to begin with. But then she saw him smiling at her.

"The truth," he just said simply, seeing Penelope nod, "which is that we are dating."

She just nodded for a few mere seconds, before her head shot up. "What? I … What?" she asked, surprised. "We are not dating," she said finally, feeling slightly dumb for saying that.

"No, but we should. And better get this out of the way _before_ anything happens and goes further," he just grinned and was then gone, leaving Penelope back slightly surprised and perplexed. _That_ she certainly hadn't seen coming, but it certainly made her smile.

Maybe there really had been finally something positive that came out of all the mess. And all of a sudden meeting Strauss didn't seem such a really, terribly bad thing after all.

***-*-*-*-* THE END *-*-*-*-***


End file.
